Technical writing is any written form or technical communication compilation used in various technical and occupational fields, such as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. It covers the largest sub-field in technical communication.
The Society for Technical Communication defines technical communication as any form of communication that demonstrates one or more of the following characteristics: (1) communicating on technical or specific topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures or environmental regulations; (2) communication through documents or technology printed, such as web pages, help files, or social media sites, or (3) providing instructions on how to do something, regardless of the technical nature of the task ".
Video Technical writing
Ikhtisar
Technical writing is done by technical writers (or technical writers) and is the process of writing and sharing information in a professional setting. The main task of technical authors is to convey information to other people or parties in the clearest and most effective way. The information conveyed by technical writers is often complex, and it is one of their key tasks to analyze information and present it in an easy to read and understand format. A good technical writer requires strong writing and communication skills. They not only convey information via text, and must be proficient with computers as well. They use programs to create and edit illustrations, create program diagrams to create visual aids, and document processors to design, create, and format documents.
Although it is commonly associated with online help and user guides, technical writing covers a wide range of genres and technologies. Press releases, memos, business proposals, datasheets, product descriptions and specifications, white papers, rÃÆ'Ã… © sumÃÆ'Â © s, and job applications are just a few examples of documents that are considered technical forms of writing.
Maps Technical writing
History
Although technical writing has only been recognized as a profession since World War II, its roots can be traced back in classical antiquity. Critics cite the work of writers such as Aristotle as the earliest form of technical writing. Geoffrey Chaucer's work, Treatise on the Astrolabe, is an early example of a technical document and is considered the first technical document published in English.
With the invention of the mechanical printing press, the beginnings of the Renaissance and the rise of the Age of Reason, the need to document findings became a necessity, and inventors and scientists such as Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci prepared documents that record findings and findings. Although never referred to technical documents during their period of publication, these documents play an important role in developing modern forms of technical communication and writing.
The field of technical communication grew during the Industrial Revolution. This increases the need to instruct people how to use the more and more complex machines that are being created and used. However, unlike the past, where skills are passed down through oral tradition, there is nothing other than an inventor who knows how to use this new device. Writing thus becomes the fastest and most effective way to disseminate information, and writers who can document these devices are desirable.
During the 20th century, the need for technical writing skyrocketed, and the profession was finally officially recognized. The events of World War I and World War II led to advances in medicine, military hardware, computer technology, and aerospace technology. This rapid growth, coupled with the urgency of war, creates an urgent need for well-written and written documents that record the use of this technology. Technical writing was in high demand during this time, and became the official job title during World War II.
After World War II, technological advances led to an increase in consumer goods and living standards. During the post-war boom, public services such as libraries and universities, as well as transport systems such as buses and highways saw massive growth, and the authors' need to record these processes increased. It was also during this period that computers began to be used in big business and universities. In particular, in 1949, Joseph D. Chapline wrote the first computational technical document, a instruction manual for the BINAC computer.
The invention of transistors in 1947 enabled computers to be manufactured cheaper than ever. This cheaper price means computers can now be purchased by individuals and small businesses. And as a result of the growing popularity of computers, the need for writers who can explain and document these devices grows. The technical writing profession saw further expansion during the 1970s and 1980s as consumer electronics found their way to the homes of more and more people.
In recent years, computer excellence in society has led to many advances in the field of digital communications, which led to many changes in the tools used by technical writers. Hypertext, word processing, graphical editing programs, and page layout software have made making technical documents faster and easier than ever, and today's technical writers must be proficient in the program.
Technique
Good technical writing is concise, focused, easy to understand, error-free, and audience-based. The technical writers focus on making their documents as clear as possible, avoiding too technical phrases and style options like passive sounds and nominalizations. Because technical documents are used in real-world situations, it should always be clear what is the subject of the technical document and what to do with the information presented. It would be very dangerous if, for example, the author's technical instructions on how to use a high-powered X-ray machine are hard to understand.
Technical writing requires writers to extensively check their audience. A technical writer needs to be aware of the existing knowledge of their audience about the material they discuss as the knowledge base of the authors who will determine the content and focus of a document. For example, an evaluation report that discusses scientific research findings written for a group of highly skilled scientists will be very different constructed from those intended for the general public. Technical writers do not have to be subject experts (SMEs) themselves and generally collaborate with SMEs to complete tasks that require more knowledge of the subject than they have.
Technical writing should be accurate. A technical writer, after analyzing their audience, knows what they are trying to communicate. The goal from there is to deliver the message in an accurate and ethical way. Physical, environmental, or financial reactions can occur if the author is wrong to do so. Knowing the audience is important for accuracy because the language will be tailored to what they understand about the subject. For example, instructions on how to build a bookshelf properly and safely, are included when purchased. The instructions are made so that anyone can follow, including accurate details of where each binder goes. If the instruction is not accurate, the bookshelf may become unstable and fail.
The design and layout of documents is also a very important component in technical writing. Technical writers spend a lot of time making sure their documents are legible, because poorly designed documents hamper readers' understanding. Technical document design emphasizes the proper use of document design options such as bullet points, font size, and bold text. Images, diagrams and videos are also often used by technical writers because these media can often convey complex information, such as the company's annual revenue or product design features, are much more efficient than text.
Technical document
Technical writing covers many genres and styles of writing depending on information and audience. Technical documents are not produced by technical writers themselves. Almost everyone working in a professional environment produces technical documents with various variations. Some examples of technical writing include:
- Instructions and procedures are documents that help developers or end users operate or configure devices or programs. Examples of instructional documents include user guides and troubleshooting guides for computer programs, computer hardware, household products, medical equipment, mechanical products, and automobiles.
- Proposal. Most projects begin with a proposal - a document describing the project objectives, the tasks to be undertaken in the project, the methods used to complete the project, and finally the project cost. The proposal covers a range of subjects. For example, a technical writer can make a proposal that outlines how much it costs to install a new computer system, a marketing professional can write a proposal with a product offering and a teacher can write a proposal that outlines how a new biology class will be structured.
- Mail, mail, and memoranda are some of the most frequently written documents in business. Letters and emails can be constructed with a variety of purposes - some intended only to communicate information while others are designed to persuade recipients to complete certain tasks. While the letters we write for people outside the company, memos are documents written to other employees in the business.
- Press release. When a company wants to publicly announce new products or services, they will have a technical writer of a press release, a document describing the function and value of the product to the public.
- Specifications are design outlines that describe the structure, parts, packaging, and delivery of an object or process with sufficient detail so that others can reconstruct. For example, a technical writer can map and write specifications for a smartphone or bicycle so that the manufacturer can generate objects.
- Description is a short description of procedures and processes that help readers understand how things work. For example, a technical writer might write a document showing the greenhouse gas effect or show how the braking system is on a bicycle function.
- RÃÆ' Â © sumÃÆ' Â © s and the job application is another example of a technical document. They are documents used in professional settings to inform the reader of the author's credentials.
- Technical reports are written to provide the reader with information, instructions, and analysis of the task. Reports come in many forms. For example, a technical writer can evaluate a sold building and produce a travel report that highlights its findings and whether he believes the building should be purchased or not. Other authors working for a nonprofit company can publish an evaluation report showing the company's research findings on air pollution.
- Case studies are published reports about a person, group, or situation learned from time to time; too : real-life situations that can be viewed or learned to learn about something. For example, situations that challenge individuals in their workplace and how they solve them are case studies.
- White paper is a document written for experts in the field and usually describes a solution to a technological or business challenge or problem. Examples of white paper include sections that explain how to make a business stand out in a market or section that explains how to prevent cyber attacks in business.
- Website. The emergence of hypertext has changed the way documents are read, organized, and accessed. Today's technical writers are often responsible for creating pages on websites like the "About Us" page or product pages and are expected to be proficient in web development tools.
- The data sheet is a document that summarizes the features, main specifications, technical characteristics, the set of applications, and some other important information about products, machinery, tools, software, applications, system briefly.
- API Guide is written for the developer community and used to describe the application programming interface.
Tools
The following tools are used by technical authors for authors and present documents:
- Desktop publishing tools or word processor. Word processors such as Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and LibreOffice Writer are used by technical authors to write, edit, design, and print documents. Since technical writing is about page layouts such as written language, enhanced desktop publishing tools such as Adobe InDesign and LyX are also used by Technical Writers. These programs function similarly to word processors but provide users with more options and features to design documents and automate multiple formats.
- Author tools are used by technical authors to create a help system packed with software products, sent via a web browser or provided as user-viewable files on their computers. Examples are Madcap Flare and Adobe Framemaker. When writing instructional procedures to describe a mechanical, electrical or software program; technical authors will use this tool to assist them in simplifying assembly, operation or installation processes.
- Image editing software. Often, images and other visual elements can describe information better than text paragraphs. In this case, image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and GIMP is used by technical authors to create and edit visual aspects of documents such as photos, icons, and diagrams.
- Collaborative software program. Because technical writing often involves communication between multiple individuals working for different companies, it can be a collaborative affair. Thus, technical writers use Wiki Systems and share the document workspace to work with authors and others to build technical documents.
- Web development tools. The work of a technical writer is no longer limited to producing only documents. They should now also produce content for corporate websites and other professional websites. Web Development Tools like Adobe Dreamweaver are standard tools in industry that technical writers are expected to be proficient.
- Graphics software. To describe statistical information such as number of visits to restaurants or the amount of money the university spent on sports programs, technical authors will use graphs and flowcharts. While programs such as Microsoft Excel and Word can create basic graphs and charts, sometimes technical writers must produce very complex and detailed graphics that require functions not available in the program. In this case, powerful graphics and graphics tools such as Microsoft Visio are used to organize and design charts and diagrams effectively.
- Screenshot Technical authors typically use Screenshot Tools like Camtasia and Snagit to capture their desktops. When creating instructions for computer software, it is easier for a technical writer to simply record themselves completing a task rather than writing a series of lengthy instructions that illustrate how the task should be performed. Screenshot tools are also used to take screenshots of programs and software that run on a user's computer and then create an accompanying diagram.
List of associates
- Association for Business Communications
- Czech Society for Technical Communications
- European Association for Technical Communication
- IEEE Professional Communication Society
- Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators
- International Business Communicators Association
- SIGDOC
- Society for Technical Communications
- Korea Technical Communication Association
- COM & amp; TEC
See also
- Copy Writing
- Creative Nonfiction
- Edit
- Instructional design
- Technical communication
References
External links
- Technical writing on Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- IEEE Transactions in Professional Communications
- Wikiversity technical writing course
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments